Avian Flu Outbreak In Scotland, 40,000 Birds Culled

The Scottish government announced a bird flu outbreak at a poultry farm in eastern Scotland. Laboratory tests identified a very mild strain of the H5N1 virus and a humane cull of almost 40,000 birds had begun.

Avian Flu Outbreak In Scotland, 40,000 Birds Culled

Restrictions on the movement of poultry and birds for one kilometer around the affected premises remain in place, the release added.

‘Bird flu or avian influenza is a disease caused by an influenza virus (H5N1) that primarily affects birds. This virus that causes the bird infection can mutate to infect humans.
’

"The lab has now formally confirmed the presence of a very mild form of H5N1 avian influenza on a poultry farm near Dunfermline. It is important to stress that this strain is quite distinct from the highly pathogenic form of H5N1 that has caused significant problems over the past decade or so around the world," Scottish Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas said.

She stressed the precautionary measures in place since suspicion of disease was first reported, in line with well-rehearsed contingency plans for dealing with avian influenza, terming the formal confirmation as "something of a technicality."

Your comments are automatically posted once they are submitted. All comments are however constantly reviewed for spam and irrelevant material (such as product or personal advertisements, email addresses, telephone numbers and website address). Such insertions do not conform to our policy and 'Terms of Use' and are either deleted or edited and republished.Please keep your comments brief and relevant.This section may also have questions seeking help. If you have the information you are welcome to respond, but please ensure that the information so provided is genuine and not misleading.

Disclaimer - All information and content on this site are for information and educational purposes only. The information should not be used for either diagnosis or treatment or both for any health related problem or disease. Always seek the advice of a qualified physician for medical diagnosis and treatment.Full Disclaimer